Threat Rising
by taacqan
Summary: My first attempt at any kind of fanfiction, Please Read and review. Chapter 4 Fully up! :) Chapter 5 hopefully befor Jan 2005
1. Chapter 1

**Broken Sky: Act 4 Part 1**

**Threat Rising**

**A Fanfic by Anthony Edwards**

* * *

Author note: My very first attempt at a Fan Fiction story, please read and review, all comments gratefully accepted. I don't own any of the Broken Sky Characters, nor any of the themes depicted in the Broken Sky series, they belong to Chris Wooding.

Chapter 1

In the years following the Integration Wars many subtle changes came over both the Dominions and Kiran Taq. Many of these subtle changes didn't affect the everyday person and the few that did were not noticed much. Both worlds were now in the capable hands of a democratically elected government instigated by the Parrakans, these government soon gained a foothold and began to develop of their own accord needing no further input from the Parrakan organisation.

One of the biggest projects was the rebuilding of Tusani City, which had been destroyed by the Mau Grist and the Fal Juja rampaging through the city until one careened into the Magma Derricks that powered the bustling Metropolis, and the resulting explosion levelled the city. The rebuilding got underway pretty much as soon as the Wars were over. Kirans, sensing a kind of kinship with the folk of the Dominions came in droves through the Ley Boosters to help their long lost brethren. But even as the Dominions were still reeling from the Deepwater creatures there was a slow and steady recovery that allowed the people of the Dominions and the people of Kiran Taq to gain trust of one another finally dispelling the fear that the deposed King Macaan had installed in both peoples.

It was soon decided that Parraka was no longer needed to maintain the peace and the council of Parraka decided to disband the organisation. Many of the members that had made their home at Gar Jenna, the secret city and base of operations for Parraka, decided to stay and the city began to grow and trade with the wider world. For some members though the Integration Wars had claimed the lives of many loved ones and they decided that they wished to leave the fair city behind, some to settle in the mountains, for a quieter life, and others to join the masses of people flooding across the sea to the new land discovered by the first ship to have a miniature Pulse Hammer on board.

The first settlers christened this new land; they called it the New Dominions. The rate of progress on the new continent was slow as the required materials to develop a port only slowly filtered across the great ocean that separated the new form the old, but slowly and surely the first port was built and the ships that traversed the sea became larger and faster as the Mechanists Guild designed new and better technology, for both worlds, to transport both people and materials across the sea.

But even as the two worlds integrated fully there were still problems to overcome and glitches that needed to be rectified, and the government handled each situation as it came, but little did they know that on the horizon of both worlds, storm clouds were gathering and soon the twin worlds would be in need again.

Only this time the heroes of the Integration Wars would be separated, their powers divided. Only if they return to each other will their powers be great enough to beat the new enemy, only if they all returned could they save the destiny of both worlds.


	2. Chapter 2

Author note: Second Chapter of my very first attempt at a Fan Fiction story, please read and review, all comments gratefully accepted. I don't own any of the Broken Sky Characters, nor any of the themes depicted in the Broken Sky series, they belong to Chris Wooding.

Chapter 2

It was early morning in the Dominions and on a small hill above an idyllic valley two figures could be seen moving about a small campsite, doing chores and mundane tasks. If a wandering traveller took their time to get a good look they would notice a smaller third figure that walked on all fours, a dog, and they would also note that the two figures were a man and a women. Not wanting to intrude on the couple the traveller would move on through the valley heading north towards Tusani City passing a group of long destroyed buildings that were slowly being covered in the foliage of a small forest.

At the campsite the two figures had got a fire going and the man had produced some meat, which he proceeded to cook. The women glanced at the man with a slight look of dismay on her face as if to say 'this is one thing I may never get used to,' but she continued to chop the few roots that she had collected form various plants. The man noticed her glancing at his cooking and grinned.

"Not to fresh for you I hope?" he said still grinning. The female just continued chopping the roots in silence as if he had said nothing, "Not very chatty either." He continued to cook the meat and prodded it to test whether it was cooked, when he felt it was done he removed it from the fire and set it on a rock beside the fire to cool a little before tearing it into three pieces, passing one to the dog and tossing one to the woman, he kept one for himself. The female looked down at the meat and gave a little sigh before tossing her companion a bowl full of pealed and prepared root vegetables, which he himself eyed suspiciously. Pondering for a bit, he began to eat the meal they had prepared he noticed that his companion had not yet touched her meal.

"If you didn't want that..." he said, "I'm sure Blink will happily take care of it." the dog at hearing the mention his name perked up and brought himself over to his master, he sighed and ruffled the dogs head and again looked at his companion who still having not touched her meal, "Hello? Anyone home?" he asked his brow creasing in a look that could have passed for concern.

"Sorry, I just drifted off," Came the half-hearted response from the female, she turned to look at her companion before continuing to look down the valley, "This was where they lived... right here in this valley."

"Who ya rattling on about now?" Came the disinterested reply as the man steadily began eating his meal again.

"Oh no-one... it doesn't matter much anymore." Came the reply. She continued looking down the valley, as if to visualise the desolated buildings, whole again. Slowly she turned away and began to eat her meal. As the two finished their meal the female began to take down the two-person tent. She motioned to her companion to help her instead of just drift around lazily, "Come on Whist, we need to start if we are going to walk back to Tusani City."

The dog looked up and barked at the mention of his master's name, "Alright, alright. I'll just get our stuff together." She looked at him and the dog and gave them a funny look.

"I still don't get that connection you have with that dog." She commented to him. While Whist ignored her, Blink came up to her and looked at her in a way that gave her the feeling that the dog was intelligent. She tried to shake the feeling and continued packing up the tent. Whist however had finished and had put out the fire. No more conversation came between them when they had packed up. They gathered their entire luggage together, placed one hand on the dog and the other on the pile of luggage. In a blink of an eye all three figures were gone along with the bags, leaving no trace of their being there behind.

The countryside around Tusani City hid many things, just one of those things was a medium sized, squat house. The house had an attached garden that looked like all the landscaping was either natural or done by a master crafts-person. Birds fluttered from tree to tree, while a small stream flowed from up in the mountains down towards the city. All was peaceful.

"Peliqua? Peliqua? Where are you Peliqua?" Came a voice through open windows. From outside a figure could be seen dashing along the corridors that circled the house's edge. In a room a little distance form the running figure, another taller figure waited in both darkness and silence, she turned and waited to hear if she was called again. "Peliqua?" came a shout.

"I'm in here," "Where?" "Here," the figure said with a sigh; the anticipation of when the girl would arrive started to make her fidget. "Stop fidgeting," someone beside her scolded, "You'll give us away too soon." She tried to stop fidgeting and she only managed to fidget more.

The foot steps of the teenager came closer and closer making the figure hold her breath, the voice beside her didn't say anything in fear of giving itself away. When the girl finally reached the door, she peered in, her silhouette framed by the gardens beyond the window on the far side of the corridor. She reached for the glowstone cover to allow her to see inside the darkened room, as she did so the group clustered inside took a collective breath, and light flooded the room.

"Surprise!" shouted the clustered figured as they were exposed. The girl's eyes flew across the figures in a state of complete surprise, her eyes rested of one figure though. The girl surprised expression slowly changed to a smile and tears came to her eyes.

"Happy Birthday, Cousin." Said Kia.


	3. Chapter 3

Author note: Third Chapter of my very first attempt at a Fan Fiction story, please read and review, all comments gratefully accepted. I don't own any of the Broken Sky Characters, nor any of the themes depicted in the Broken Sky series, they belong to Chris Wooding.

Chapter 3

The room was filled with chatting as the group of people exchanged stories and chatted about how life had treated them in general. Kia was talking to Hochi about how she had managed to negotiate with both the Sa'arin and the nomad tribes to form a non-aggression pact; meanwhile Gerdi was talking to Jedda about the unexplored mass of the new lands, including the vast deserts of the southern tip of the continent. But even as these conversations went on Elani wished to address her friends as a whole, she skittered from person to person and soon they had all been quieted and had turned to look at the little girl who now stood in front of them. Over the past 6 winters Elani had grown from small girl into blossoming womanhood and she had shot up to the just short of Kia.

"Well, I have never been much of a speaker," started Elani, "but I would like to take a moment to say to you all that this, so far, has been the best birthday ever, what I mean to say is, its so good to see you all again, especially after the experiences of the wars." She paused for a moment in her speech and looked at the figures assembled before her before starting again, "I know that you Kia, have been exceedingly busy, especially with your new marital 'responsibilities'," Kia blushed at the reference to her marriage, but nodded and let the girl continue, "But you Uncle Hochi, you had nothing to come back to here and moved to build a wyvern stud in the New Dominions, the trip to get back here alone must have put you back enough to buy a prime bull wyvern for your stud... but even though that is the case I am still so glad that you came" again she paused, not knowing what to say next. "Well, as I said earlier I am defiantly not a speech kinda person so why don't we tuck in? I hear that you've all had some pretty wild adventures. Anyone want to share?" motioning to the food at the side of the room and a group of chairs and sofas at the other end of the room.

In the countryside outside Tusani City it was peaceful, the wind rustled the leaves of the trees and shrubs gently and the song of birds filled the air, a stream wound its way around the feet of nanka trees, which were their summer green colour, and ran down to meet the growing river that had flowed gracefully down valley floor and towards the sea. The birds quietened, as a sudden change in air pressure around the stream startled them, and in the blink of an eye three figures were getting their feet wet.

"Whist!" exclaimed Li'ain, "You said that you could keep us from going in the rivers." She quickly extracted herself from the stream and tried frantically to find a spot where she could leave her shoes to dry in the sun. Whist slowly stepped out of the stream grinning, the nanka leaves throwing patterns over the faded tattoos on his chest, meanwhile Blink slowly walked around the clearing, his feet cracking small branches beneath his padded feet. Whist looked over at his companion and gave a small whistle, the dog came bounding over and nuzzled his master, who gave him a small pat on the back.

Li'ain looked at the pair that had been her constant companion for the last 6 winters, together they had travelled throughout both the Dominions and Kiran Taq. Their journeys had not been without their adventures, but for the most part all Li'ain wanted to do was explore the land that she had once ruled and not even cared about. She suddenly snapped out of her memories when she heard a sharp crack of a twig being trodden on.

"What is it?" Li'ain asked quietly as she took out the long, slender sword that she still had from her days in the deserts. Li'ain looked around the clearing and then back at Whist, who with Blink, was now over at the far side of the clearing looking intently through a group of bushes. Taking slow careful steps she made her way over to Whist, who motioned her to be still as they silently looked on.

The group sat down in a circle of comfy chairs, Kia and Jedda began to relate their tales to the group who now focused entirely on the adventures unfolding from the words that they pair spoke. After a while the adventure came to its conclusion and the group dissolved into general conversation. Elani having become deeply enthralled in the re-telling of Kia's adventures stepped out into the garden of her and Peliqua's house. She walked for a while admiring the pretty flowers and landscapes of the garden, but after a while she sat down on a stone bench which was placed in a little alcove surrounded by the closing buds of pink summer blossoms.

"Need to talk?" Asked a voice from just beyond the opening to the secluded area. Elani jumped at the voice, not realising that she had been followed out. Managing to squeak an affirmative Gerdi rounded the corner. Elani studied him as he came closer, his hair was now blue and green instead of the original green. She thought the look suited him as it framed his eyes well. His face had matured as well during the last few winters, gone was the boy who had protected her many a time, in his place now stood a young handsome man. Suddenly aware of what she was doing Elani looked away blushing sheepishly, her mind was reeling from what she had just done but Gerdi either didn't notice or didn't mind people staring at him for long periods.

"So El, how are you really? You looked fine at the party but when you came out here you seemed troubled..." Gerdi left this statement hang between the two of them, Elani looked up at him and gestured to sit beside her.

"I fine Gerdi, really," said the unusually deflated girl, "though to be honest I wished Ryushi had been here to come to my party and relate the wild tales of the wilderness beyond the settlements over there. By the way, why wasn't Ryushi or Calica here, you or Uncle Hochi never really did give me an explanation." This time it was Elani who let the conversation hang, Gerdi squirmed beside her, but in a flash he had settled again.

"Elani," Gerdi started, "Ryushi and Calica, were not here because they had been hiking in the mountains around our settlement for a few weeks when Peliqua's invite came into our stud. I'm sorry Elani..." Gerdi looked at the girl that to him had been, and still was, what innocent meant as he said this. He noticed a small glint in the corner of her eye, and saw it trickle down the side of her well-formed cheekbone. Not wanting to just sit by as she began to cry, Gerdi made sure Hochi was not around and put his hand around the back of Elani's neck and began to reassure her.

It took a moment for Elani to realise that she had begun to cry and even longer to realise that Gerdi now had one of his hands on her shoulder. Not she did the thing that felt most natural at that moment; she fell over onto Gerdi's shoulder and began to cry.

Kia had followed both Elani and Gerdi outside but had heard the girl start to cry and decided to head for the opposite side of the garden. Kia admired the garden a lot as she so rarely saw such greenery in the desert, she had of course done the landscaping as a favour, and as she spread herself into the ground she felt the familiarity of the soil come flooding back to her. So engrossed in exploring the whole of the soil around her, she managed stepped awkwardly on a large fallen branch. It snapped with a resounding crack and Kia stumbled over into the soft grass. "Damn," she said to herself, "should have been more careful." Raising herself from the floor she felt a twinge in her left ankle, she looked at it and noticed that it was bleeding from a gash caused by the snapped branch.

"Here," said a voice, "let me help you with that," came the voice again. Kia looked up to see a woman kneeling down and tending to her ankle, she had dark raven hair, and a face... a face so familiar to her, but she couldn't place it as the woman began to examine the wound. Suddenly she felt an intense pain go straight through her, Kia let out a loud groan as the woman tending her took out a large splinter from the wound, and then she stopped as the pain eased into dull pain leaving her breathless.

"It's a good thing that I got that splinter out, had it been left there for long it could have rotted." Came the voice, that voice, Kia thought, I should know that voice. Then before she could finish her train of thought more pain warped her very insides, and again it was gone as quickly as it had come. Looking down at her ankles she saw that the wound was now scabbed over, and the woman had raised from her knees to come towards Kia's head. "Up you get now, we need to get you inside," she said and four pairs of hands helped her up, 'four?' she thought as her head span. She turned her head just enough to glance at the new arrival who had helped her up. He had tattooed skin and his hair was, from what she could tell, green. Then he looked at her and she clinched it.

"Whist." She growled with distaste.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Hi ya guys and girls, I am sorry about the slow updating but I have finally finished Chapter 4 and have begun work on Chapter 5, hopefully it will be as good I hope. I look forward to hearing from you at any time, I also encourage any other people to review my work as well.

Oh, and PS, you though I forgot about Ryushi and Calica? Did you? Well look out for them in the next chapter….

Disclaimer: I own none of the Broken Sky characters and/or ideas used by Chris Wooding in the creation of Broken Sky.

Chapter 4

When he had seen what had happened to Kia, Jedda leaped out of his chair and in an instant drawn his scimitar, laying it at Whist's throat. Peliqua also seeing the injured Kia leaped out of her chair but instead of attacking either of the two newcomers she helped Li'ain carry Kia to a bed where she could be laid down to sleep. Kia was drifting in and out of consciousness, though not fully becoming unconscious, she felt weak as if she had drained her spirit stones to exhaustion as her twin had many times before he mastered his stones. She was unable to make out faces, her only true recollection was the face of Whist appearing as she was lifted into the house. After a while of being moved she felt herself being laid down on a soft surface. She tried to say something but the people who had helped her there whispered for her to rest and sleep. She was in no mood to argue…

After being laid on the bed Kia fell into a sleep, she couldn't resist its pull so she gave in and let her worries fade away, she didn't dream or if she did she didn't remember it. But then there was something, a light, a light that seemed to fill her whole mind. She tried to block the light out, but the light filled her whole vision, then there was nothing again, the light was gone, crushed by a new darkness, then she heard it. It was a deep voice, guttural in its tone and its manner was dark, like that of a deadly prophesy.

we are the regulators. we are the equalisers. we maintain the balance between the two worlds that were separated in the great Sundering millennia ago. we see all futures, all possibilities.

In her mind she saw a figure, shrouded in shadow but she could see the outline of the figure, it was large and broad shouldered, covered in furs, then it spoke again.

but we are not the only ones with this gift, there are others, others who would disrupt this balance, who would keep the two worlds separated by fear. it is they who took Macaan parents from him, and in doing so caused the last darkness, and it is they who will bring the next darkness, they have acted quickly, we have nothing in place to stop this from happening

The figure faded and in its place came a view of a darkened sky, polluted by rising chimneys billowing huge clouds of ash and soot, at their foot were slaves, slaves who toiled endlessly keeping the fires of the chimney's going. The vision gave her a closer look at the slaves, they were all black, not from the ash, but their skin was ashen coloured, they were Kirans. Then a dominion man came along, he wore a fur coat, form the coat he took a whip, his stones powered and the whip cracked over the Kirans sending them to their knees.

Kia looked on, the mass of people oblivious to her presence, 'No!' she cried in her mind 'We cant allow this to happen, not now, we've worked so hard to achieve peace already…' her mind reeled form the images she saw before her, she turned her head aside to try and forget the images, but all she got were fresh scenes of horror. 'No!' she cried again, 'No no no!' she frantically tried to stop the images; she kept turning away, closing her eyes, only to find she couldn't. Then she saw her, she also had a face of anguish displayed, but she wasn't being tortured she was watching the rest of the Kirans being tortured, she turned away from the terrible scenes and their eyes met, in an instant they new what was happening, they were being given a vision, a vision of something terrible, something horrible that was coming, and coming soon, they, Kia and the mystery stranger were the only ones who felt they could stop it. Suddenly the vision stopped and the figure appeared once more.

we are the regulators. we are the equalisers. but this time we cannot keep the balance, this time it will be up to you, and you alone to maintain that balance.

The figure stepped out of the shadow; its face revealed she felt herself trembling, in a combination of fear and awe. Because stood before her was not just one but all the Deliverers, and they were all looking at her.

"Yargh!" She woke up, the people around her suddenly aware of her. "Whoa… what was that…?" She looked around at the people in the room, she saw Elani, Gerdi, Jedda and the woman who had helped her out before she passed out. It was Jedda who spoke first.

"You're awake, thank Mauni that you're ok, you were in a feverish state, we were wondering what might have happened to you…" Jedda spoke quickly and softly.

"It's ok Jedda, it's ok. Well maybe it isn't ok… but that's not the point right now.." she looked at him, his eyes showing his concern for his love. But she broke their gaze and looked at the new comer, "You.. I should remember you; there is something about you…" Kia's brow furrowed in thought, "now I remember! You're Aurin…"

"Li'ain, its Li'ain. It has been a while since we have seen each other Kia." Replied Li'ain, Jedda wearing his surprised look, he had never been able to get his head round the fact he had had a former tyrant as a guest of his tribe.

"Yes of course, you were with Jedda and his tribe when you rescued me from the mines" Kia said with a shudder at the memory of the time she spent at the mine. Kia swung her legs over the side of the bed and took a look at the damage that had been caused when she had fallen over. There was a scab there now, she could thank Li'ain for that, but she could still feel the numb pain of the gouge that the wood had caused.

"I've sent for a healer, he should be here soon, mean while I suggest you rest, your body has been sapped of its energy trying to cope with your wound." Jedda said in a caring voice. Kia looked at him and began to say that she didn't need rest when, mid-sentence she yawned.

"Hmm," she said, "maybe I do need some rest." She smiled, pulled her legs back under the covers of the bed and lay her head back on the pillow, she was soon asleep and breathing gently. Jedda looked on at the sleeping form of Kia, and then got up form his chair.

"We best leave her to rest until the healer gets here," he said "meanwhile why don't we continue with the party, after all it is still your birthday Elani…" Jedda looked at the young adult that stood before him, and was reminded vaguely of Kia at that age.

"Birthday?" said Li'ain, "Well then, if it's your birthday, there should be fireworks don't you think?" gesturing to her back, where a slight green glow now resided. Smiling Elani let people file passed her and back into the main living area where Peliqua and Hochi were waiting after sorting out a healer for Kia. Peliqua smiled as Elani and the others came in, but looked puzzled when they went straight for the door leading outside.

"Elani, where are you lot off to now?" she asked. Elani turned and smiled at her, "We're going to see some fireworks" she said grinning.


End file.
